Proposition
by xxGomenasaixx
Summary: "I want you to help me rebuild my clan."
1. Chapter 1

Ummm...I have no idea. One of my first stories...I found it while going through my documents...I probably won't keep it up. Just testing the waters?

Erg /

**Chapter 1**

Sakura shouldn't have accepted the mission.

It's often that when you look back on your life, it's not hard to pinpoint the exact moments where a choice you made was the choice that would change your path. For Sakura, she could say with absolute certainty that the defining moment of the rest of her life was that day in the Hokages' office, where she stood in a patch of warm sunlight and calmly accepted the mission scroll.

To be fair, though, it _had _been the first mission she'd been presented with for a very long time. The ninja village of Konoha had always been somewhat stretched with their medical specialists, so Sakura ( being the Hokage and Legendary Medical Ninja Tsunade's apprentice ) had been the one chosen that spring to manage the entire staff of medics, despite her relatively young age. She'd just turned eighteen the month before when she was designated to desk duty and organizing the entire goings-on at the hospital.

"It appears there has been a bout of fever in a small village about three hundred miles northwest of here," Tsunade-sama was saying as Sakura flipped the scroll open, her green eyes flicking back and forth over the neat calligraphy. "They requested a medical specialist. I'd normally get someone else without so much on their hands, but the specific details of the case seem to be something more in your field."

Sakura nodded, though her eyebrows furrowed when Tsunade continued, "…of course, I know you have your hands full at the hospital. If it's too much for you to handle, I'm sure we can find some chuunin to take a look…" The Hokage frowned.

"No, I'll take it, "Sakura said quickly, bristling slightly on the inside at the insinuation that she couldn't do her duties. "Shizune said she could take over for me for the durance of the mission. Besides, it probably won't take long. All I'll have to do is identify the virus strain and whip up an antidote." The pink haired kunoichi slipped the scroll into the pack strapped around her waist. "Easy."

Tsunade hummed, lacing her fingers together and appraising her apprentice with a quick sweep of brown eyes. "Indeed. You've really grown, Sakura. I'm…proud of you."

A smile formed on Sakuras' lips at the unexpected praise. The older woman was rare with her compliments, so the fact that she had said meant it really had to be true. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama," She bowed respectfully and then turned to walk towards the door.

When she reached the threshold, she heard her shishou's voice again, "And don't you dare get sick out there!"

Sakura grinned again and nodded, slipping out the door.

Her mentor's little comment had managed to add a little energy into her walk again. It was true that she had grown, but the responsibilities off her life had also grown with her, and it had started to way her down. The past three years…Sakura slowed as she passed by a window, looking out onto the streets of Konoha. There had been a lot of death, but also a lot of re building as well. As evidenced by the re-paved streets of Konohagakure, put back together with the combined effort of all the hidden villages.

Naruto, once hated, now a hero.

Herself, once useless…she flexed her gloves…now one of the top medical ninja in Konoha.

And Sasuke.

Sakura watched her reflection in the mirror as her lips thinned, her eyes narrowing. Sasuke, after ranting and his obsession for vengeance and his vow to destroy Konoha, had suddenly announced he wanted no more to do with the shinobi world. He had abruptly disappeared. Vanished. It was incredibly suspicious and put everyone on edge for months afterwards. But yet no one had seen or heard of him not those dark eyes, for these past three years.

_. …faint bruising around her neck…intent to kill…_

Sakura shook her head quickly. No, she wouldn't waste her time thinking about the Uchiha anymore. He was done with them, he'd said so himself.

She forced a smile on her face until her cheeks hurt with the strain of it then turned to continue on her way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_"I'll only be gone for a week or two, a month tops," Sakura said, with a smile on her face. Naruto and she were currently at the ramen stall (where else) while Sakura explained she had got a mission. Sai had yet to turn up._

_"Awww," The blonde haired boy whined even as his favourite dish was set in front of him. "But you've already been so busy with the Hospital, we haven't had any time to hang out or train!"_

_Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at his completely downtrodden expression. "It hasn't been that bad. We always meet here at lunch." _

_But Sakura also felt that twinge of sadness. It was true that responsibilities had swamped her, but so had Naruto's. The young Hokage-to-be was in high demand for missions, and he was even in consideration for ANBU. That meant extra/extra/extra training, but that also meant the two of them barely had time to see each other anymore. The remnants of Team 7 had always stuck together, and it hurt her to be unable to be with Naruto and even Sai like they used to. The three of them had gotten close after the war, especially her and Naruto after…Sasuke. She cared deeply for her teammates after all they'd been through._

_"I guess," Naruto said sadly. Sakura was quiet, her chopsticks in her hand, her eyes taking in the profile of her best friend as he turned to his ramen. The choppy blonde hair, the handsome curve to his jaw, the blue eyes, even the orange clothing, all of it was so familiar. Even…Sakura felt heat rise to her cheeks and quickly turned towards her own ramen. Nope. She was NOT going to finish that thought._

_Sai turned up a few minutes after and joined them. The three bantered and joked like the good friends they were, and when Sakura finally left she had a warm glow in her heart. _

_"Bye, Ugly," Sai said, waving. He had kept the nickname much to Sakura's chagrin, but he used it with affection rather than purposely goading so she only wacked on the head every other day. _

_"See you, Sakura," Naruto said, smiling and giving her a hug. He always held her tightly when he hugged her, and Sakura found her eyes closing as she put her arms around him. His scent engulfed her, ramen and warmth and familiarity. _

_A shiver went down her spine, and Sakura suddenly felt a spike of fear go through her. Her eyes snapped open, but the feeling had gone just as it had come. _Strange… _Sakura found herself pressing herself closer to Naruto than she ever had before even as they pulled away from each other. He gave her a quizzical look but she just smiled, albeit shakily. _

_It wasn't a completely uncommon event for her to feel fear for Naruto (he had always gotten himself into many dangerous situations, and still would in the future) but that had been different. It was like…a sense of foreboding. Like something was going to happen that would tear her away from Naruto forever._

Don't be silly,_ Inner Sakura scolded, startling normal Sakura. The other more bold part of her personality hadn't come out in a while as she'd gotten more confident. _Don't be overdramatic. Nothing's going to happen. You are just going on a typical mission and you'll be back in no time. Stop worrying.

_"Bye, Naruto, Sai. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," Sakura said, easily hiding the moment she was talking with herself. But…Inner Sakura had been right, she supposed. There was really nothing to worry about._

_And Sakura turned to get a good night's sleep before the mission, brushing off the feelings of apprehension with the ease of someone used to hiding things from oneself_

_._

Sakura darted from the tree to the forest floor with ease, her traveling cloak flaring up around and settling as she landed in a crouch.

She straightened up, giving a quick look at the sky, now that she could actually see it since she had landed in a small clearing. The trees around this area grew tall and thick, easy to run across, but terrible to discern where she was simply by looking.

Hm. The sky was a very dismal gray, and ominous black clouds were hovering in the distance. Rain…that wasn't very good. Wet weather was always the worst conditions to attempt an healing of fevers or sickness.

She had better get there soon.

The little town of Yama, as stated in her mission scroll, was three hundred miles northwest of Konoha. She'd never heard of it before now, actually. According to the information on the scroll, it would normally take about a week walking, but Sakura had run most of the way, worry that the longer she took the worse the fever would spread and the harder her job would be spurring her forwards.

Now. Sakura glanced around the clearing. Trees in every direction as well as moss covered boulders here and there. No discernible form of civilization to be found.

If only she could actually _find _the town, that would be just great.

She slipped the scroll out from her travel bag and consulted the directions.

_Follow the main road from Konoha 100 meters, turn left at the town there for 50 miles, and then turn north for 150 miles. After traveling through the Forest of Shadows, you should come to a white bridge. Follow the trail leading from the bridge another 50 miles and you will come to Yama. _

Sakura glanced up again, squinting through the pink hair that fell into her eyes. Okay, so she assumed that the forest she'd been traveling through had been the Forest of Shadows (the name suits it well, Sakura thought drily) so that must mean there had to be a bridge around her somewhere. Her eyes scanned the area around her.

Hm.

There were a lot of trees but no white bridge in sight.

Sakura folded the map and put it away. She looked around once more, just in case she had missed something the first few times. It sure would be helpful at that moment to have one of those handy byakyugan, like Hinata or Neji. They'd be able to find the bridge in no time.

_You're lost, _Inner Sakura decided to chip in helpfully.

_I'm not lost. _

_Yes you are._

"No, I am not," Sakura said out loud. Aruging with herself was pointless, but the sound of her voice broke the eerie stillness and silence form the forest around her. Just then, her stomach gave a sharp twinge and growled loudly, emphasized by the emptiness of the clearing.

Sakura groaned and flopped to the ground, one hand over her stomach. It rumbled pitifully.

Okay, so maybe she was lost. Or momentarily delayed. And hungry, if the uncomfortable sounds her stomach were making were any indication. She opened the flap to her bag and pulled out the simple travel rations she'd packed, tearing into the package with vigor.

She munched on the chewy bar thoughtfully for a few minutes.

A bird cawed in the distance, and Sakura found herself scowling down at the ground. She couldn't believe it. Lost (Lost!) on the way to a simple medical mission. Her first mission in a _month_, her first time outside Konoha for two, and she had already failed it. That uneasiness she'd felt right after she'd hugged Naruto returned. What if something had happened, or something was going to happen, and she was sent to the village to find a cure for the fever for some reason?

Maybe the virus was some mutant strain and would migrate to Konoha and everyone she'd ever loved was going to die because she had gotten lost on her way to a simple Village?

_Stop it, Sakura, _She scolded herself. _You don't need to widely speculate. Just calm down and wait. You'll figure it out. Use that intelligence you are known for. _

Sakura glanced back up at the sky. From where she was sitting, it looked like the dark clouds had come even closer. She'd need to find some sort of shelter soon, if she couldn't find the village.

Sakura finished eating and stuffed the remaining food away. She'd only packed enough sustenance for a three day journey anyway, expecting to be able to restock at the village when the time came to return to Konoha. So if she didn't find the village soon, or some sort of place she could get food…Right. So much for that intelligence.

What was with her? Two months of not going on typical missions and she was already losing her touch. Pathetic.

A twig snapped.

Sakura tensed immediately, going into a defense crouch, eyes jumping back and forth in a rapid motion to examine the shadows in the trees around her. Her mind shifted back into shinobi mode, cataloguing each gentle sway of grass and leaves in the clearing. Had something snuck up on her while she was distracted? An enemy nin? A missing nin? She cursed herself for her lack of inattention, fingers curling around the handle of a kunai.

Movement in a bush. Sakura's eyes snapped towards it, narrowing as….a white ball of fluff hopped out.

Sakura stared as her tense posture loosened somewhat. A bunny. A cute innocent bunny had snuck up on her.

Her lips twisted up into a smirk, and then a laugh bubbled out of her lips. God, that was actually funny. Kind of like older times with Team 7, when they freaked out at the slightest sounds…

"Something funny?"

Sakura's blood _chilled,_ the hair on the back of her neck _raised, _because she _knew _that voice, she _hated (loved) _it, and she spun on her heal so fast that it took a moment for the rest of the world to catch up to her.

Green eyes met black ones. Sakura's heart stopped beating.

Sasuke smiled. "Hello, Sakura."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello, Sakura."

He was standing in the shadows between two solid trees, seeming to blend in because of the dark clothes and cloak he wore. He looked…the same as he had before, enclosed by the shadows of the trees as he was. Pale, pale ( beautiful) skin and dark hair. Those eyes that could throw her into so much confusion, predatory in the way they watched her. The only readable expression in his face.

Sakura couldn't breathe. The fingers that had clenched around her kunai involuntary were frozen, and it felt like her entire body had gone cold. "Sasu…ke."

Sasuke had quit the shinobi world. After the years of waiting, when everything settled down, and he still didn't show up again…most people assumed he was either dead or permanently in hiding.

He'd ran from his past and Sakura didn't know what to think when suddenly faced with…him.

He didn't respond, or make any sort of movements. He just stood there. He was so utterly still and unmoving that for a moment Sakura thought he was illusion, an image brought up by her stressed mind. But she quickly dismissed that thought.

Despite being lost and slightly stressed, she was still in a perfect health condition. There was no reason for her eyes to start playing tricks on her.

The pink-haired girl swallowed thickly. Unbidden, memories flashed through her mind. _A dark haired boy her own age, so dark and cool there was no choice but to fall in love…Sasuke-kun I love you, you're annoying…who did that to you?...thank you. _

_But…_

_She'd hurt Naruto, oh she had hurt him so bad…a burden…fingers, closing around her neck, an intent to kill…_ she could feel her blood moving again, and her gloved fingers were once again wrapping themselves around a kunai.

Sakura may have been many things when it came to Sasuke Uchiha, but she wasn't stupid. She was not a young fool in love. She was not a girl anymore. And the last time she had seen this face (_not counting her dreams or were they nightmares?) _she had attempted to kill, because seeing him in so much pain had been too much.

And he had tried to kill her, almost succeeding if not for Naruto and Kakashi-sensei's intervention.

And then he'd vanished before either she or Naruto could make things come to an end.

His eyes were still watching her, analyzing her movements. Sakura shut down her heart and said coldly, "What are doing here, Sasuke?"

She did not like the way he let his gaze drop to her toes and then sweep up languidly, the dark lashes framing his eyes lightly brushing the top of his cheekbone. She did not like that expression in his eyes, something she had _never _seen in them before, at least towards her_. _It looked almost like…_ approval. _Once, she might have enjoyed having Sasuke admire her. But now it just caused her to grip her weapon tighter. "Answer me." Why was he here? To kill her? That had to be the reason. Unless he wanted something…?

_Does he still want revenge?_

But he had disappeared during the war, and in the aftermath of the chaos it would have been the perfect time to attack. They had been depleted of sources. Practically defenseless. It would have been easy.

But he hadn't.

He moved and Sakura reacted, flinging the kunai so quick that it impaled the ground in front of Sasuke's feet. The hilt quivered even as they both looked at it, then their eyes rose to meet again. "Stay right where you are," Sakura said shakily.

Sakura didn't know what she would do if he attacked. Running away would probably be the safest option, even if it meant swallowing any pride she'd gained as a kunoichi. But the chances of her winning in a fight against Sasuke, statistically, were very slim. Sakura was well aware of her own limitations by now.

Sakura and Sasuke stared at each other for a moment. Then, so slowly, the corner of Sasuke's lips twitched, and Sakura watched as it turned into a not-quite-there-smirk. A shadow of what used to be a common expression on the dark-haired boy's face. But now it was humorless, and dark.

"You've grown."

The words were so unexpected that Sakura jerked, sure that she had heard wrong.

_You've really grown, Sakura. _

She stared, but the boy (no, he was a man-_A deadly man, Sakura, don't ever forget that_) didn't say anything else. Just looked at her with those dark eyes. Finally, sick of waiting for him to speak and explain what the hell he wanted, she said in as flat a tone as she could muster, "Why are you? What do you want, Sasuke?"

_Reveal no emotion. Don't let him take advantage. Be on guard,_ Sakura recited in her mind. They were just words, typical shinobi routine, but they were easier to focus on than other distracting thoughts.

"You," He spoke quietly, calmly, with no hesitation.

Sakura froze.

Thunder rumbled and a crow cawed. A light curtain of rain descended on the clearing, splattering against Sakura's rosy skin in icy cold drops. But she paid no attention. Her attention was entirely riveted by Sasuke as again, she was thrown for a loop. She _had _to have misheard him again. Her lips parted, the bottom sticking lightly to the top as she said slowly, "Excuse…me?"

The not-quite-there-smirk faded and he took a step forward, passing the kunai lodged deeply into the ground. Sakura shifted a step backwards immediately, whipping out the second kunai she had grasped and holding it in front of her. She watched him warily. "I don't remember you being hard of hearing, Sakura. I said I am here for you."

She shook her head, damp pink strands swinging against her face. "I don't understand," Digging her foot firmly into the soil, she shifted into a more defensive stance, raising the kunai higher and glaring at him. "If you're planning something against Konoha, don't even think about it. I'll stop you."

Green eyes locked with red. Sakura's widened slightly when she realized he'd let his shift to sharingan, and then he was _gone, _not in front of her where she could _see him,_ the place where he'd been standing completely empty. She felt a sharp spike of fear go through her as she spun quickly, but _not fast enough (she'd never be fast enough)_ and he was behind her_. _

Hot breath against the back of her neck, and she froze, like a the prey caught in a trap, when he leaned close enough to her that she felt the long strands of his hair brush against the delicate skin. His hand shot out, enclosing her wrist in a cold, viselike grip when she tried to swing the one with the kunai towards him, squeezing the delicate tendon hard enough until she was forced to drop the weapon.

It landed on the ground with a solid, resolute thump. He remained holding onto the wrist, forcing her arm backwards and pressing it tight to her back in an uncomfortable, not quite painful hold. She had to arch herself forward to escape the strain it put on her shoulder.

"I have no interest in Konoha," His voice, harsh and low, sent shivers down her spine. "I will say it one more time, and I hope you will pay close attention this time. I-am-here-for-_you," _when he said the last word, he squeezed the arm he held in his grasp tightly as if to accentuate the fact.

Sakura's mind was whirling. He was here for _her? _That didn't make any sense! It was always, always Naruto he'd targeted, after he had killed Itachi. The blonde, orange loud-mouthed teammate of theirs that always swore he'd bring him back. But what about the revenge he'd declared against his home village? She knew all about the Uchiha Massacre. She'd noticed something was strange about the entire thing, but until Naruto had actually finally told her it hadn't made sense.

She knew that Konoha had ordered Sasuke's older brother to murder his entire clan, to prevent an uprising. She was horrified about it. But the way Sasuke went about his revenge had been wrong. He'd let himself get corrupted. Sakura had spent the past three years going over this, and come to those conclusions.

He shouldn't be able to shake her like this anymore. He wasn't allowed.

Maybe he'd been biding his time these past three years, growing even stronger than he was, learning the darkest forms of fighting in the shinobi world, shadowy places that not even the most sadistic Konoha nin would ever dare dream of comprehending?

Sakura narrowed her eyes. He may have gotten stronger, but so had _she, _and she gathered chakra in her feet and hands and wrenched herself away from him, twisting and launching a deadly fist in his direction that he of course dodged, but if he had been a second slower she'd have got him. She stumbled but turned quickly to face him again, raising her arms in front of her face. The back of her felt oddly cold, as if the heat had been sucked by Sasuke.

The rain was getting heavier now, starting to slick up her arms with moisture and causing her hair to cling to her face. Her pink vest had rivulets of raindrops dripping down the sides. "So, you are here for me. To kill me?" It would make some sort of sick sense, she supposed, in Sasuke's mind. Though it pained her every time she thought of it, she had attempted to kill Sasuke. Why not start with his revenge against Konoha by killing the weakest member of Team Seven who had tried and failed to assassinate him? Sakura had never for a second believed he was 'done' with the shinobi world. No, Sasuke was driven by revenge. He wouldn't stop until he had reached his goal.

Sasuke stared at her from where he stood, seven or so feet away. The rain had started to plaster his hair (it had gotten longer, she noticed, again detachedly. Like she was observing from outside. He was taller too, muscle defined but still slim and slender) against his cheekbones and forehead, standing out starkly against the pale skin. "Kill you?" He looked at the sky, and then glanced back at her. "Sakura, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

"You tried to kill me once before," Sakura couldn't help but point out. She regretted it when he narrowed his eyes at her.

"If I remember correctly, and I do, _you _were the one who sought _me _out first, and then you tried to, literally, stab me in the back."

Sakura felt faint warmth in her cheeks. When he put it like that it just sounded terrible. But she supposed it was terrible, so she guessed he did sort of have a right to feel like that, even though she had only done it because he had been in so much pain, and it had been unbearable to watch. She was sure he wouldn't appreciate it if she said that though, so she kept quiet. "So if you don't want to kill me, and you don't want to destroy Konoha _(yet) _then…what? " She said instead, "You didn't come by just to chat about old times, surely." She snorted at that, and even he looked amused, as amused as Sasuke could get.

He was smirking darkly. "You're right," She looked up sharply at his tone. Was he finally going to tell her what he wanted? Obviously he hadn't gotten it yet if he was still here, but Sakura could not for the life of her figure it out. It just didn't make sense when he said 'you'. That only brought one thing to her mind…but that was impossible. "I don't want to kill you. In fact, I came here because I have a proposition for you."

Her eyes snapped to his unreadable ones, her body tensing, the fear still in her system and making her wary, but curiosity being the factor she was still here. "Proposition?"

In another apathetic moment she realised this was probably the longest, serious conversation she'd ever had with Sasuke in years.

He didn't look away from her as he said it. No, instead his eyes trapped her, wheeling them in, even without the sharingan on, it was impossible to look away. "I want you to help me rebuild my clan."


	4. Chapter 4

"Rebuild…your…clan." Sakura said slowly, carefully forming the words with her tongue. A few moments passed and the clearing was silent save for the rain quietly thrumming against them in the background.

"Hn."

Rebuild his clan.

_Rebuild his clan_.

But that would mean…

But that meaning was impossible because this was _Sasuke, _and she was _Sakura, _and he did not, ever (no matter how much she had wished it back then) looked at her that way.

She suddenly thought back to earlier on, when she had seen that _look _in his eye. She hadn't been able to believe it. But…

"I'm sorry. _What." _

Sasuke frowned. "I understand things have changed, and are different now, but you don't have to look so horrified. "

Sakura shook her head again. "But…that doesn't make sense. Why would you say you want me to help rebuild your clan? That'd mean we…" She could feel the blush rising on her face. She grabbed onto the very next thought and let it blurt out of her mouth, anything to distract form _that _topic. "You mean you want me to help you find a suitable woman who will help you rebuild your clan?"

She was grasping at straws here. Anything to make sense of what he had said. Because Sasuke would never ask that of _her…_or would he? She used to be love with him, obviously so. But he had always found her annoying.

Sasuke indeed looked annoyed now. "I thought you were intelligent. No, Sakura. Let me make this as clear as I possibly can." He moved faster than her eye could follow, and he was in front of her, cold fingers grasping her chin and lifting it so she was forced to look into his dark, dark eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

"I want you, Sakura Haruno, to help me rebuild the once renowned clan of Uchiha, by partnering with me and bearing my children."

Sakura was silent, her chin trapped by this dark man, their eyes locked together. He searched her face, waiting for a response. Sakura opened her suddenly dry mouth, licked her lips, but no words could come out.

"In return," He continued, "You will gain the wealth and prestige associated with being one of the Uchiha clan, as my wife."

Sakura stared. This had to be a dream. There was no way on earth that Sasuke would ever ask her to marry him, let alone have his children. It had once been her childhood dream. But that was a long time ago, a lifetime ago. Things were different now. They had changed.

_She _had changed.

Right?

Against her will, her eyes stung and she could feel the moisture gathering there. Her lips closed and thinned into a harsh line, and soon she was glaring at the surprised Sasuke as a single tear slid out of her eye, mixing with the raindrops on her skin. She raised her gloved hand and put it on his chest, clutching tightly before suddenly shoving him away. Her eyes were glued to the ground as she willed the tears away and her voice to be strong.

"Why, Sasuke?" She asked quietly.

There was no response for a long enough time that Sakura dared peek up through her lashes. Sasuke had that mask over his face again; the only give that he was tense was the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The sound of the rain was getting quieter now as it drifted away. A simple spring shower.

Sasuke watched her through hooded eyes before saying slowly, "I am the last living member of the Uchiha clan. If I die, the clan dies with me." His eyes narrowed, red glinting in the depths. "I have no intention of allowing that to happen."

"So you sought me out because you knew I have…_had…_feelings for you, and you thought if you just ask me to have your kids I'd say yes?" Sakura said sharply, surprising herself at the venom in her words. Did he really think so shallowly of her?

Sasuke titled his head. "I didn't really seek you out. I knew you would be here."

Sakura stared, and when the meaning finally came to her she felt her mouth fall open in shock. " Knew..? That mission scroll…they asked for me personally. You set that up?

Sasuke made no response, and that was enough of an admission. Sakura ground her teeth together, clenching her fists. "I can't believe you would do that! Do you know how much of a mess Konoha is in right now? Just because you don't care anymore, doesn't mean that you can just go about wasting our time-"

"Regardless," Sasuke cut her off quickly. "It's over and done with. Do you accept my proposal?"

By the tone of his voice, it was clear to Sakura that he really only expected one answer. It seemed he thought that she would never deny him, and that the position of being his wife was a perfect trade. Once, she might have. But he didn't know her anymore. Sakura put her hands on her hips and raised her chin. Well. She'd prove to him just how wrong he was. She wasn't someone he could continually cast aside and then come waltzing back, expecting her to welcome him back into her life like nothing had changed.

"No."

The short, clipped word echoed around the clearing. Rain had stopped falling but the sky was still an ominous gray colour, refusing to part to let the sun evaporate the cold droplets. Sakura kept her stony expression even as Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and red flashed starkly against his white skin. "No?"

"I didn't think you were hard of hearing, _Sasuke," _Sakura said, throwing his previous words back at him. "I refuse," with that, she turned her back, one hand brushing her damp hair behind her ear and the other tightening her cloak against the chilly atmosphere. Her fingers fisted, bunching the fabric up over her chest, eyes skewed tightly shut. She could feel the moisture there, hot tears against her cold skin. She needed to get away right now. If not, she would surely burst into tears right in front of her old teammate. This was just too much for her heart too takes, too close to what she had once yearned for. And Sasuke had said that he had prepared the mission scroll, so there was no more point for her to be here. The village had probably didn't exist in the first place. She just needed to get home with the people who truly cared about her and forget about this entire thing. Before she ended up agreeing.

"Sakura." He called her name again just as she was reaching the other side of the clearing, her foot just inches from the treeline. She stopped for a moment but didn't turn around. What else did he have to say to her? Her heart was already aching enough. There was no good reason to stay here any longer. And yet she couldn't move forward.

"Fight me."

What? She turned her head, an incredulous expression on her face, to see him just a few feet behind her. "Fight you?"

"Yes. I want you, Sakura. But it seems you are too stubborn to let go of the past. If you win, I'll accept your decision. But if I win," Here, Sasuke smirked, just like he used to before. His hands were already around the hilt of his sword, the silver glinting as he began to draw it. "You will marry me and have my children."

Sakura was still only half facing the Uchiha, when suddenly she whirled. "I don't get it! Why can't you just find someone else? There have to be dozens of other woman who would do anything to have your kids!" Sakura wasn't exaggerating. They both knew it was the dark haired man had always had many fan girls, and woman falling over their heels just to be beside him.

Sasuke just titled his head. The sword was in his hands now, long and sharp and threatening. "I don't want them."

Sakura flung her hands up in the air, exasperated. "I don't want to fight you!" Stupid, idiotic Uchiha. Always whatever he wanted, damn anyone else. That used to be what attracted her to him, his determination. But now it was downright annoying. "I won't."

Sasuke shifted his feet, soles of his heels digging into the moist dirt. There was an odd glint in his red eyes, excitement, as he watched her. Sakura was reminded suddenly that the man in front of her was anything but mentally stable. "You don't have a choice. It's either fight me and have the chance to go, or don't and I get what I want anyways."

Sakura froze. That cold fear crept up her spine again, curling into tendrils throughout her body. "You wouldn't."

He titled his head back, hair falling into his eyes. "You couldn't stop me." He stated calmly, matter-of-factly. It scared and infuriated Sakura at the same time because despite her massive strength and skill, Sasuke could probably…or he'd find a way to, overpower. She really wouldn't be able to fend him off if she was caught by those damned eyes of his.

She bit her lower lip, hard. Then she brought her front leg forward, and the other back, her fists coming up in a fighting pose. Sasuke's eyes gleamed. There was no other choice.

And that's as far as I got?


	5. Chapter 5

Well! Sorry it took so long. I was participating in the NaNo thing. And I didn't expect many people to actually read this.

To be honest, I wrote the first four chapters a long time ago, and any plot I had for it I don't remember. I don't have any idea where I meant for it to go. But since people actually responded, I decided to sit down and work out something. :p

I'm a bad procrastinator, and only write when I'm in the mood. I wrote this all tonight, for example. I also have a bad habit of absolutely hating my work and constantly wanting to rewrite it so it fits the image I have in my head of where I want a story to go. So bear with me. And if people have some ideas or scenes they'd like to see, feel free to tell me. :)

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The background seemed to fade as the blood rushed to her ears, and the tips of her fingers tingled. Then she swung her fist back and slammed it downwards, and the earth cracked a chasm across the clearing, trees dislodged and flinging bits of dirt and ground in every direction. She saw the expression as it flit across Sasuke's face, and it only made her blood boil. It was appreciation, his red eyes taking in the destruction as it careened towards him.

She couldn't help the snear that curled her lips as he disappeared behind a mountain of rubble, though it was quickly wiped off as the air in front of her burst into flames, the dirt quickly turning to ash. She saw a glint and threw her arms up right as Sasuke appeared, his sword mid-swing and a wide grin on his face. The bite of the sword against her arm wasn't nearly as alarming as that too-wide smile, one she had never seen before on him, one that showed the manic gleam in his eye.

"Nice try," Sasuke sneered, "But I already know all of your tricks. And wrong way to block a sword," He emphasized by pushing downwards, using his weight on the sword to push her back. Sakura felt a line of liquid warmth trickle down her arm. She glared at him, and then suddenly released the tension in arms, darting away as Sasuke momentarily was off balance. She rolled to her feet among the charred bits of dirt a distance away.

Hand glowing green and already resting on the faint wound, she turned just as Sasuke was slowly rising from his crouch. "Tch," He said, turning to look at her, causally swinging his sword around. "I expected better than that."

He looked at her with an unnervingly still gaze, a bit too wide and unfocused. Sakura remembered a few years before, the last time that she, Naruto, and Kakashi had seen Sasuke. He had looked horrible and shaken, yes, but his gaze had been far more…was stable really the right word? He had looked far more stable then, then he did now. And that was saying something because Sasuke hadn't always been known for being the most mentally stable one on the team.

She brushed off the dirt that clung to her cloak, and slowly stood up. Sasuke remained watching her, like a predator would watch its prey before it pounced. Unnatural stillness, and entire attention fixed upon it. She ignored the faint heat at the back of her neck and tilted her chin up. "I was just testing you, Sasuke. I haven't seen you in years. Who knows what kind of new tricks you've managed to learn in that time?"

Sasuke just stared at her, and then disappeared. She prepared, and as he reappeared behind her she was already springing into the air, back flipping over and away. Her fingertips had barely touched the ground before he was in front of her again, this time with a muttered justsu, and three fireballs were shot towards her. Sakura barely had time to use a substitution jutsu, appearing in one of the trees that ringed the clearing, breathing slightly harder. The tips of her gloves were seared. She grimaced. "He's gotten faster."

In the clearing, Sasuke was looking around lazily. "Sakura," He said. And the way he said, like a purr as he rolled her name around in his mouth like each syllable was a delicacy, made her heart beat uncomfortably. "Come out. I know where you are. There's no use trying to hide."

Something tugged at her glove. She had rested it against the trunk of the tree to stabilize herself. Now, she glanced at it and let out a cry of surprise. The tree itself seemed to be sucking her fingers in, vines creeping out and wrapping her hand and wrist, wrapping and pulling it into the bark. She tried to yank it back, but that only made pull harder.

"Got you," Sakura heard from behind her, the sound of voice breathing against the back of her neck. She snarled, her other hand glittering with the sharp edges of a chakra scalpel as she spun around, and came nose to nose with Sasuke. His red eyes swirled around in around, and then the tree holding her up shattered, into a thousand pink petals that swirled around her as she fell, screaming with no sound…

Sakura gasped as she suddenly snapped her eyes open. The world titled, and then realigned itself. She was still crouching, her hand glowing green over the faint marks on her arms, from when Sasuke had used his sword. Just a moment again. She looked up to see Sasuke still standing there, sword at his side. He was looking at her hand, as it hovered over her arm, and as the wounds knitted themselves up.

Sakura slowly stood up. Sasuke smiled at her. "Are you ready to give up now?"

Sakura snapped, "Shut up."

And then she attacked. If Sasuke was surprised by her aggression, he didn't show it. He easily side stepped her first punch, and then side-stepped as she swung around to hit him again. Each consecutive hit he countered, even as Sakura's attacks and combos grew faster and more forceful. But Sasuke dodged every single one. They quickly became two blurs slowly moving across the clearing.

Sakura knew a bit about fighting against the sharingan. She had practised with Kakashi, and with many requests and one final order from the Hokage, he had relented and finally lifted that forehead protector. Sakura remembered her emotions so clearly, as she stared at the mismatched gaze of her teacher for the first time on opposite ends of the battle field. There was nothing quite like the moment your teacher took you seriously.

But it was because of those battles that Sakura knew a little how the sharingan worked. At it s most basic level, it could predict and analyze movements, even where a future punch might land. And if one had the speed, like Sasuke did, one could predict and prepare a counter-attack five or six or even ten steps ahead, if you were good.

And Sasuke was beyond that level by now. In order to trick a sharingan user, one must possess an amount of speed that exceeded the user, or have some sort of ability that prevented them from seeing your chakra clearly. Or have a very good control of your own chakra, and enable to maneuver and control it within split-second intervals.

Sasuke's eyes were like red blurs tracking her movements, predicting where they would hit next, and then he was just barely stepping out of the way, to the point that only a small space was between the hit and him. It was obviously a tactic meant to irritate and frustrate an opponent, but Sakura wasn't just any opponent.

Halfway through another punch, she suddenly diverted and lengthened her chakra into a sharp blade. Sasuke had only a tiny amount of room, and was not fast enough to avoid as the chakra scalpel nicked his cheek. It cut through cleanly, though it was only a small cut. The surprise he felt was evident when she used the moment to quickly swing her leg around, hitting him hard on his back, sending him flying..

He didn't crash, but he landed rather heavily from his mid-air flip, his feet dragging in the dirt before he came to a stop. He looked up, and Sakura regretted it when she saw he had that manic smile on again, and the eyes that glittered with insanity. "You actually managed to touch me," Sasuke said, two fingers pressed lightly against his cheek, where the red blood stood out starky against his pale skin.

Sakura shifted her stance, holding her arms up. The chakra scalpels blazed in her hands. "I'm not that untrained little girl anymore, Sasuke. Are you still underestimating me?"

"Of course not," Sasuke grinned at her. Sakura tried not to show just how much it unnnrevered her when he smiled like that. At her. "But it's my turn now."

He breathed in deeply, curling his fingers in front of his mouth. It was a move that Sakura had seen many times before. But the sheer size of the fireball that he breathed out reminded her of a small sun. She slammed her hands on the ground, causing a large wall of earth to burst out in front of her, just as the fire ball slammed into it. She looked up as a shadow blocked out the real sunlight, as Sasuke appeared over her earth barrier. He'd ditched the sword, and come at her with a flying heel drop.

Sasuke's method of fighting was different than hers. He attacked with quick, efficient, sharp jabs. Here, there, hit, hit, until your body was just a massive bruise. And he was just so bloody fast. Sakura blocked his hits with a slight grimace, managing to return a few of her own. Close-range fighting typically meant death for her opponents, since one touch of her chakra enhanced hits could break bones and tear bodies. But she was starting to run low on chakra, and no doubt he was only attacking so close because he had guessed so. He was right, but it didn't mean she was done. She just had to be smarter and more sparing with her remaining chakra.

She spun and aimed a kick at his head, this time not loaded with chakra. He blocked it. She aimed another one, this one with chakra enhanced strength, and he dodged it. Her next one was also charged, and he carefully sidestepped before attacking with his own. They exchanged blows like this; Sakura alternating her chakra enhanced hits with normal, and Sasuke blocked or dodging each one accordingly.

Damn it, Sakura thought angrily as he dodged yet another of her loaded punches. That damn sharingan. If only he wasn't so fast, if only he wasn't able to perceive chakra so acutely, she could have hit him with one of her randomly chakra-heavy hits. Any other opponent would have fallen by now.

But of course, not Sasuke. Never Sasuke.

He would always be ahead of her.

She was getting frustrated. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her chakra levels were low. Any longer, and it would be letting herself get into dangerous territory. He was just playing with her now, dancing around her blows like it was all a game. And it probably was. Too him. As soon as she exhausted herself, he'd just deal the final blow.

And then it was game over. And he'd…She couldn't bring herself to think about it, not now, when they were so close that she felt the heat of his body when he moved around her. Could see the way his muscles moved beneath his clothes, the way they tensed and…

Not now, Sakura grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes. I've come so far. I'm not going to let myself be taken for a fool by him ever again. She lunged forwards, directing all her chakra to her hands, extending them back into the chakra scalpels, so they were more like daggers than thin blades anymore. She aimed for his eyes- the tip of her chakra, as sharp as any real blade, resting right between them, pushing through the skin- and then it stopped. Her chakra cut off. Her eyes widened as the blade shattered, right in front of her, and she froze as if in mid-air, right in front of Sasuke. She felt inside her for any sign of her chakra, but there was none. It was like it was dead. Gone. Shut off.

Sasuke looked at her coolly. "Problem?" Then he kicked her viciously in the stomach, and there was nothing Sakura could do as she shot across the clearing, smashing into a tree and landing in a small heap at its base. She winced at the pain shooting down her back, but she only could slump where she landed, staring with wide eyes at her hands.

Nothing. There was nothing. She could not feel a thing, not a sign of her chakra. Even for chakra exhaustion, there was always a sign, the faintest force, even if it was slow and diluted and weak. There was no way her chakra could be just…gone.

Sasuke appeared in front of her. She could see his toes and shoes, the ankle protector through the gaps between her fingers as she stared. This was impossible. No chakra? It felt like part of her soul was missing, or dead. Black. "What..?" She whispered. Without her chakra, she…she…was nothing special. She wasn't anything.

She could feel it as Sasuke crouched in front of her, as his fingers wrapped into her hair, and he rested his forehead against hers. She still stared with wide eyes at her fingers. "Impossible," She whispered," I never even saw you do anything…there is no jutsu that can do this…how am I even alive if I have no chakra..?"

Sasuke tightened his hold on her hair, pulling the strands, until Sakura was forced to look into his eyes. "This is what happens when you try to challenge me," He said coldly. Sakura became acutely aware of how close he was, how his black hair tangled with her own pink strands, and how he seemed completely unfazed by the fight they'd just had. Not even a single sheen of sweat, or heavy breathing, or any sign of fatigue could be seen on him. She saw that his sword was once again in his hand.

Her eyes widened. "You.."

He smiled at her. It wasn't that wide, manic one, but an indulgent, smaller one. Nevertheless it managed to intimidate her due to how close they were. She could feel his breath across her lips as he drew closer, trapping her hands between their chests, and whispering in her ear, "Time to go."

There was a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down at her body, where blood bloomed like a red flower, curling from the point of the blade that was sticking out of her. Her heart beat dully, thumping feebly, the sound roaring in her ears impossibly loud. The blood in her veins slowed. She dragged her gaze back to Sasuke's, watching as the red mixed with black, swirling and swirling, and then the world went dark.

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Don't worry. The fight is not over yet...


End file.
